x Te AES AB Ba OAS Ce 
‘Lethargy, neglecting all farther Improvements of Knowledge, and defpifing Reafons 
Nature, and the Evidence of Senfe. 
Every one ought to attain to as high a Degree of natural Knowledge as he can, for 
a deep Knowledge in Nature bas detected many falfe Pretenders to Infpiration, Pro- 
phefy, and the like, while the Ignorant in Nature and ber Laws have been deluded by 
the meaneft and lowe/t. Pretenders, fuch as diabohcal Paffeffons, ee iea ee 
Dreams, good and bad Omens, and the like. 
As Arts have been brought by gradual Steps from one degree of Perfettion to another, 
by joining the Knowledge of paft Times left us in the Writings of thofe that are gone 
before, with the Difcoveries and Experience of the prefent Times ; fo.even the know- 
ledge of Nature itfelf hath been multiply d by the various degrees of Conception, and 
different Powers of Penetration that have been given by God through paft Ages to 
Mankind, which have been handed down through the Records of Time tous. Without 
this Knowledge of other Men joined to our own, our Knowledge would be like that of 
Savage People who live together in fmall Tribes or Families, and have nothing but meer 
mother Wit and pure natural Capacity, chiefly derived from the Senfes, to dire 
them, they not knowing what any of their Anceftors faid or thought before them for 
_ want of Characters to exprefs Words; fo that each Man’s Knowledge is his own, or 
has little Affifiance from others : I do not mean that while we are fearching into Na- : 
ture’s Works, we foould neglect the curious Arts and Inventions of Men; for by being. 
well skill’d in Arts we are enabled the better to make Difcoveries in Nature. Befides, 
a fine Art loft may never be recover'd, but Nature, tho’ at prefent unknown by fearch- 
ing, may at one time or other be found, becaufe fhe always endureth and continueth the . 
fame. Art and Nature, like two Sifters, fhould always walk aeies in band, that fo 
they may reciprocally aid and affift each other. 
He who goes into foreign Parts, in order to improve bimfelf in natural Knowledge or 
other Sciences, fhould jirft acquire all that may be learned in bis own Country, left he 
foould expofe himfelf, as many have done, by going abroad, telling us at their return 
many fuch things as were already known, or might have been eafily difcovered in our \ 
own Country. To produce au Inftance of this, let any one knowing in Birds turn over 
Cornelius 
